Turkey may launch new operations against Kurds in northern Syria, Erdoğan says
In a recent interview with the Russian daily İzvestiya, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said a new and broader operation may be launched by Turkey in northern Syria and Manbij and Raqqa may be taken under control in order to prevent establishment of a Kurdish state in the region.
Holding the interview with İzvestiya after his visit in a refugee camp in Harran district of southeastern border town of Urfa, Erdoğan stated Turkey is ready to step up if any small threat is faced with regards to a possibility of creation of a Kurdish state in northern Syria, ‘which Turkey will never allow’, as Erdoğan asserted.
Giving an implied message of criticism about the US support for Kurdish YPG forces in the area, Erdoğan expressed discontent over this decision of Turkey’s ally.
Erdoğan’s statements in this regard are causing concerns in Moscow and Washington, the report of the daily stated.
Turkey’s government officials believe the YPG forces in Syria are tied to the Kurdish insurgency PKK, which the Turkish state has been fighting against for over 30 years.